unit ferrying passengers and freight to and from Egypt. "Browned off" with transport duties, he sought reassignment to fighters and before long was able to effect a transfer to No. 80 Squadron, flying Gloster Gladiator biplanes, a type that was obsolescent well before the war began. Fighter pilot Gladiators After joining No. 80 Squadron in the Western Desert campaign, Cullen was schooled in fighter tactics by "Pat" Pattle, one of the leading British aces of the war. Nicknamed "Ape" by his colleagues due to his imposing physique, he was described by a fellow pilot as "a big, smiling, long-armed giant from Putney, with an irresistible offensive spirit and quite fearless". Cullen was "blooded" on 9 October 1940, after being detailed to search single-handedly for a missing Allied truck. Failing to locate the vehicle, he spotted five Italian Breda Ba.65 ground-attack aircraft south of Sidi Barrani and immediately engaged them, gaining credit for probably destroying one, although the Italians reported all aircraft as returning to base. No. 80 Squadron redeployed to Greece the following month, to assist in resisting the Italian invasion. There Cullen achieved his first confirmed victory, over a Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 three-engined bomber near the Kassandra Peninsula on 30 December. He was promoted to flight lieutenant the next day. On 28 January 1941, Cullen claimed his second "kill". That day, while on an offensive patrol between Kelcyre and Premet, over Albania, with fourteen Gladiators from No. 80 Squadron, he attacked four Fiat BR.20s and five CANT Z.1007bis bombers of the Regia Aeronautica. He reported destroying a Z.1007bis but may have been firing at an aircraft that was shot down by Pattle's section. Cullen claimed a Fiat CR.42 fighter and a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bomber on successive days, 9 and 10 February respectively. He then recorded two victories in one mission on 20 February, over Albania. After sending a Fiat G.50 down in flames while escorting Allied bombers, he discovered two formations of CR.42s nearby and shot down one of them. Cullen later remarked, "The others made off at once. Just as well—I hadn't any ammo left." He had also been slightly wounded in the hand by a bullet. Although the RAF claimed six Italian aircraft destroyed and two probables, including Cullen's, on 20 February, Italian sources reported only the Fiat G.50 of Tenente Alfredo Fusco of the 361a Squadriglia as shot down, killing the pilot, and the G.50 of Tenente